Liquid sampling apparatus



Oct. 1953 E. R. HARRINGTON 2,654,250

LIQUID SAMPLING APPARATUS Filed July 6, 1950 Flay/i? INVEZN TOR.

Patented Oct. 6, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE I LIQUID SAMPLING APPARATUS Edward Richard Harrington, Long Beach, Calif.

Application July 6, 1950, Serial No. 172,260

The present invention relates generally to the sampling of liquids disposed in a large container, and more particularly to apparatus which may be lowered into a container so as to extract a sample of the liquid therein.

It is common practice, especially in the oil industry to find a so-called average sample of liquids disposed in a large container by first lowering an empty receptacle to the bottom of the container, then raising it to the surface. As

is well-known to those versed in the art, this procedure is not always a, positive method of obtaining a true indication of the character of the liquid or liquids in the containers. Since the receptacle has an inlet of fixed area, the rate at which liquid will enter it will depend upon the rate of speed at which the receptacle is moved. Ordinarily this rate of speed becomes a matter of guess work, and consequently much time may be lost by either moving the receptacle at too great a rate of speed whereby the receptacle must be again lowered and raised, or at too low a rate of speed whereby the receptacle is completely filled before it'has traversed the depth of the container and must be emptied and again lowered and raised.

It is a major object of the present invention to provide liquid sampling apparatus which is adapted to obtain a true average sample of the liquid in a container. This object is primarily obtained by regulating the flow of liquid into a sample-taking receptacle by adjustably varying the area of the inlet to the receptacle.

A further object of this invention is to pro vide liquid sampling apparatus which includes a sample-taking receptacle having an air vent which may be adjusted as to area to thereby aid in regulating the flow of liquid into the receptacle and to limit the quantity taken as a sample.

It is another object of the present invention to i.

provide liquid sampling apparatus which is sturdy of construction and foolproof in operation.

Other objects and advantages of the present in- 4 Claims. (01. 73-4254) Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a reduced top plan view showing the liquid sampling apparatus of Figures 1 through 5 mounted within a sample-receiving receptacle;

Figure 7 is a reduced side elevational view of the apparatus and receptacle shown in Figure 6.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown in Figures 1 through 5 a novel liquid sampling apparatus which may be utilized in conjunction with an open-topped sample receptacle, such as shown in Figures 6 and 7. This apparatus broadly comprises a tube l which depends vertically from a cap 2, which cap is securableupon the open top of the receptacle, and includes an air vent 5 through which air originally contained in the receptacle may be displaced as the liquid sample enters thereinto.

In practice, the receptacle 4 may consist of a bottle formed with an externally threaded top.

The cap 2 may be formed with internal threads and includes a resilient gasket 3 whereby a fluidtightseal may exist between the cap and the bottle.

The upper end of the air vent 5 may receive a removable nozzle 6 whereby the rate at which the air may escape from the bottle may be controlled. Generally, the more viscous the liquid being sampled, the larger the orifice required. Where very viscous liquids are to be sampled the nozzle 6 may be removed completely. It is contemplated that the nozzle be retainable within the upper end of the air vent solely by friction.

In order that the tube I may be utilized with bottles of varying height, it may be threaded at its lower end so as to receive a sleeve 1 adapted to accommodate its length to that required for a particular bottle. The bottom of this sleeve 1 may also be threaded to receive a closure element 8 formed with a pair of openings in its side walls. A sleeve member 9 may be rotatably mounted upon the closure element 8, which sleeve member may be formed with a pair of apertures. These apertures may be brought into any desired degree of registry with the openings of the closure element 8 so as to control the rate of entry of the liquid to be sampled into the bottle. In Figure 2, the apertures are shown in full registry with the openings whereby the liquid may enter the bottle as indicated by the arrows.

Preferably, means will be provided for selectively locking the sleeve member 9- against rotation with respect to the closure element 8.

For this purpose the base ll! of the sleeve memher 9 may be secured to the closure element 8 by means of a set screw ll. By this arrangement, once the sleeve member 9 is disposed at the desired position, the set screw ll may be tightened.

In operation the cap 2 and its depending tube i will be screwed upon the top of the bottle 4. The bottle will then be lowered into a liquid to be sampled. The rate of entry of liquid into the bottle may be closely controlled by varying the degree of registry of the apertures of the sleeve member 9 with the openings of the closure element 8. This rate of entry may also be varied by the proper selection of nozzle 5 inserted in the upper end of the air vent 5.

It will be noted that the lower end of vent tube 5 is disposed downwardly some distance from the upper edge of tube 1. This distance is of paramount importance in that it limits the quantity of fluid taken into the sample bottle. Fluid will flow into the sample bottle at a rate determined by the size -of the openings innthe closure element 8, as wellrasthesize oftheaperture in nozzle 6 through: which air in' the-bottle must escape.- However, when fluid, taken-into the-bottle rises to such a height as'to obstruct the lower opening in vent tube 5, no further fluid canenter-the bottle at or above the level in the tank being sampled; Noiurther fluid. can" enter the -sample bottle'afterthe lower entrance to vent tube-5 is obstructed .due to theinabilityoi air left in the bottle to escape therefrom. Consequently this airserves'as a cushion to prevent further entry offluid. It'will be-apparent that by lowering thebottle below the-depth at which the-final: seal to'vent' tube 5 iseffected; additional fluid may flow into the-bottledue to the increased hydrostatic'head onthe air remaining in the bottle. However,asnthebottleisraised iromnthe-tank, the airremaining therein will expand in direct ratio to the pressure-existing at: the time the lower entrance to .vent tube 5 was sealed. As'this expansion of the-ai-rcushicn occurs: surplus liquid in the bottle will beforced upwardly through tube I to be discharged through the upper-open end thereof.

The .flow of 'fiuid-xinto the sample-bottle after the-fluid seal has been made-is of no practical significance, as ordinarily the timerequiredfor thesample bottle to "fill to the lower .entrance to vent tube Siis known, and the sample is taken a accordingly.

It will be-apparentto those'skilled in the art thatvarious-modifications and changes -may be made with. respect: to; the aforedescribed 1 apparatus without departing from the spirit. of the invention or --the scope of the appended claims.

I claimt:

1.: Liquid sampling apparatus 'for use with an opentop sample-receptacle, comprising: a cap securable upon the top of said receptacle; a vertical'tube depending from said cap, said tube being formed-with an inlet at its upper-portion and' an outlet at its lower end and having. an openingformed in its side wall at its lower portion; a-coaxial sleeve member rotatably mounted uporrthe lower endof said tube, a side wall of said sleeve member being formed with anaperture which may bebrought into a desired: degree ofregistry with said openingby rotation of said sleeve member; and an air vent formed at the upper portion of said tube.

2. Liquid sampling apparatus for use with an open top sample receptacle, comprising: a cap securable upon the top of said receptacle; a vertical tube depending from said cap, said tube being formed with an inlet at its upper portion and an outlet at its lower end and having an opening formed in its side Wall at its lower portion; a coaxial sleeve member rotatably mounted upon the lower end of said tube, a side wall of said sleeve member being formed with an. aperture which may be brought into a desired degree of registry with said opening by rotation of said sleeve member; an air vent formed at the upper portion of said tube; and a nozzle detachably mounted in the upper end of said air vent for controlling the rate of escape of said air.

3. Liquid sampling apparatus for use with an open. top sample receptacle, comprising: a cap securable upon the top of said receptacle; a verticaltube depending from said cap, said tube being formed with an inlet at its upper end and having. anopening: formedfin: its sidewall atits lower portion; a sleeve coaxially' carriedrby-"the lower end of said tube and adapted forrotation about the longitudinal axis of said tube, anside wall of said sleeve being formed withan'aperture which may be-brought intoa desired-degree. of registry with said opening upon: rotation ofisaid sleeve so as to vary the rate of entryofrliquidcto be sampled into said receptacle; a set iscrew icar-e ried by-thelower end of said :tub'e wforselectively restraining 'said sleeve against rotation; air vent formed in the upper 'portion' of :said: tube permitting escape of air originally containediin said receptacle as-said liquid :enters said receptacle; and: a nozzle detachably mountedi-ini the upper end of said air verifier-controlling;thezrate of escape of said air.

4. Liquid sampling apparatus for usewitlrza sample receptacle having a threaded-open top,

" comprising: a cap threadable upon the topof said receptacle; a gasket carrieclby said:cap whereby it may sealingly engagethe topof said receptacle; az'vertical tube depending-from 'the under side of saidcap, said tube-having an inlet .at :itsiupper end and'an opening'in itsside wall at1'1tS lower portion; a sleeve coaxially carried'iby-the lower end of saidtube and:adaptediforrotationrabbut the-longitudinal axis of said tube; aiside 'wall'of saidsleeve being formed-with an'aperture which may be brought into a desiredrdegree *of'rcre'gistry withsaid-opening upon rotation-of :said sleeve 'so as .to vary the rate of entry'of liquid to be sampled into said receptacle; a set screw'carriedcby the lowerend of said tube for selectively restraining said sleeve against-rotation; an elongate-down wardly extending air ventiformedin the-upper portion of said tube permitting; escapeof' 'air originally contained insaid receptacle as' said liquid enters said receptacle with the-position of the lower inlet to said vent regulating'thevertical height-to which liquid may rise in said bottle;- and a nozzle detachably mounted in the. upper endof said air vent for controllingthe rateaoi escape of said air.

EDWARD RICHARD HARRINGTON;

References Cited in the file. oipatent. UNITED STATES'PATENTS Number Name Date 2,294,655 Einstein Sept. 1, 1942 2,300,194 Anderson Oct. 2'7, 1942 2,322,660 Parsons June-22, 1943 

